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About the JUBILEE OF MERCY
150px|right This page contains some information related to the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis. __TOC__ Proclamation and Celebration During the celebration of Vespers on the Second Sunday of Easter 2015, Pope Francis announced his intention to declare an Extraordinary Jubilee Year for the Universal Church that would focus on reflecting upon the mercy of God. Shortly after, the Papal Bull of Indiction for the Jubilee Year was published. Misericordiae Vultus The document, Misericordiae Vultus, reiterated much of what Francis said during the announcement. According to the document, the Extraordinary Jubilee will run from December 08, 2015 until November 20, 2016. In the document, Francis also expressed his desire that the Jubilee Indulgence be attained by means of the traditional pilgrimage to the Holy Doors, and that these doors for the Year would have the special title of Door of Mercy "through which anyone who enters will experience the love of God who consoles, pardons, and instils hope." The Holy Door of Mercy at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican was opened on December 8th, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. The Holy Door of Mercy at the Cathedral of St. John Lateran in Rome was opened on December 13th, the Third Sunday of Advent. On that day, the Doors of Mercy the world over were also opened (although some Holy Doors were opened before then as well). The Holy Doors of St. Mary Major and St Paul's Outside-the-Walls in Rome would be opened in later dates with appropriate liturgical significance. Also in the document, Francis extended the same Jubilee Indulgence to any of the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. Description of the Official Logo The official logo is the work of Jesuit Father Marko I. Rupnik. It presents a small theological summary of the theme of mercy. In fact, it represents an image quite important to the early Church: that of the Son having taken upon His shoulders the lost soul demonstrating that it is the love of Christ that brings to completion the mystery of His incarnation culminating in redemption. The logo has been designed in such a way so as to express the profound way in which the Good Shepherd touches the flesh of humanity and does so with a love with the power to change one’s life. One particular feature worthy of note is that while the Good Shepherd, in His great mercy, takes humanity upon Himself, His eyes are merged with those of man. Christ sees with the eyes of Adam, and Adam with the eyes of Christ. Every person discovers in Christ, the new Adam, one’s own humanity and the future that lies ahead, contemplating, in His gaze, the love of the Father. The scene is captured within the so called mandorla (the shape of an almond), a figure quite important in early and medieval iconography, for it calls to mind the two natures of Christ, divine and human. The three concentric ovals, with colors progressively lighter as we move outward, suggest the movement of Christ who carries humanity out of the night of sin and death. Conversely, the depth of the darker color suggests the impenetrability of the love of the Father who forgives all. Year of Mercy Icon In some dioceses, as is the case in the Archdiocese of Toronto, the Icon for the Year of Mercy is used as the image to celebrate and proclaim this Holy Jubilee Year. The icon, titled Merciful Like the Father, was written by Vivian Imbruglia of http://www.sacredimageicons.com/#!jubilee-of-mercy-icon/c16io SacredImageIcons.com. The original icon, which is 24-krat gold and acrylic on a birch panel, is on display for veneration at the Eucharistic adoration chapel of the Franciscan Friars of Marytown in Libertyville, Illinois for the duration of the Jubilee of Mercy. Description of the Icon The central figure of the icon is a re-presentation of the official logo for the Year of Mercy: Jesus the Good Shepherd who carries the lost soul of the sinner. Jesus stands in front of the Holy Door of Mercy of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. We recall that Christ Himself is the Door through whom we can enter into God's loving embrace. The Holy Door of St. Peter's, located at the northwest corner of the basilica, is ordinarily cemented shut and opened only during Jubilee Years. From the heart of Christ come the red and white rays of His Divine Mercy. The rays extend down to figures who receive and convey His mercy. All of these figures are under the mantle of Mary, the Mother of Mercy, through whom the Holy Father has asked us to turn for intercession. Official Prayer For the occasion of this Extraordinary Holy Year, Pope Francis has composed a special prayer. The text of this prayer will be presented here in a few languages. The prayer has been officially published in a few more languages by the Vatican. Text of the Prayer in English Lord Jesus Christ, you have taught us to be merciful like the heavenly Father, and have told us that whoever sees you sees Him. Show us your face and we will be saved. Your loving gaze freed Zacchaeus and Matthew from being enslaved by money; the adulteress and Magdalene from seeking happiness only in created things; made Peter weep after his betrayal, and assured Paradise to the repentant thief. Let us hear, as if addressed to each one of us, the words that you spoke to the Samaritan woman: “If you knew the gift of God!” You are the visible face of the invisible Father, of the God who manifests his power above all by forgiveness and mercy: let the Church be your visible face in the world, its Lord risen and glorified. You willed that your ministers would also be clothed in weakness in order that they may feel compassion for those in ignorance and error: let everyone who approaches them feel sought after, loved, and forgiven by God. Send your Spirit and consecrate every one of us with its anointing, so that the Jubilee of Mercy may be a year of grace from the Lord, and your Church, with renewed enthusiasm, may bring good news to the poor, proclaim liberty to captives and the oppressed, and restore sight to the blind. We ask this of you, Lord Jesus, through the intercession of Mary, Mother of Mercy; you who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. AMEN. Text of the Prayer in Filipino (Tagalog) Panginoong Hesukristo, tinuruan mo kaming maging maawain tulad ng Ama sa langit, at winika na sinumang nakakikita sa iyo ay nakakikita rin sa Kanya. Ipakita mo sa amin ang iyong mukha at kami ay maliligtas. Ang iyong masintahing pagtingin ang nagpalaya kay Zakeo at Mateo sa pagkagumon sa salapi; sa babaeng nangangalunya at kay Magdalena sa paghahangad ng ligaya sa mga bagay na makalupa lamang; ang nagpatangis kay Pedro matapos ng kanyang pagkakanulo, at nagdala ng pangako ng Paraiso sa magnanakaw na nagsisi. Itulot mong marinig rin namin, na tila ba sinasabi mo sa amin, ang mga salitang binigkas mo sa babaeng Samaritana, "Kung batid mo lamang ang kaloob ng Diyos!" Ikaw ang hayag na mukha ng Amang hindi nakikita, ng Diyos na nagpapamalas ng kanyang kapangyarihan, higit sa lahat, sa pagpapatawad at habag: itulot mong ang iyong Simbahan ay maging hayag na mukha mo sa daigdig na Ikaw ang Panginoong Muling Nabuhay at Niluwalhati. Niloob mong ang iyong mga tagapaglingkod ay mabalot rin ng kahinaan upang magdalang-habag sa mga mangmang at nagkakamali: nawa ang lahat ng lalapit sa kanila ay madama ang pagsuyo, pagmamahal at pagpapatawad ng Diyos. Isugo mo ang iyong Espiritu at italaga ang bawat isa sa amin sa pagpapahid nito, upang ang Hubileyo ng Awa ay maging isang taon ng biyaya mula sa Panginoon, at ang iyong Simbahan, nang may bagong sigla, ay makapaghatid ng mabuting balita sa mahihirap, magpahayag ng paglaya sa mga bihag at inaapi, at magpanumbalik ng paningin sa mga bulag. Ito ay hinihingi namin sa iyo, Panginoong Hesus, sa pamamagitan ni Maria, Ina ng Awa, Ikaw na nabubuhay at naghahari kasama ng Ama at ng Espiritu Santo, magpasawalang hanggan. AMEN. In the Archdiocese of Toronto Across the Archdiocese of Toronto, there are nine sites of pilgrimage designated for the Jubilee of Mercy. 150px|left Each of these churches and shrines have designated Doors of Mercy, and a pilgrimage through these Doors grant the same Jubilee Indulgence as going through any of the Doors in Rome. The Archdiocese has also printed rack cards (or passports) that list the nine sites. Each of the sites would be issued a specially designed commemorative stamp with which pilgrims can mark their rack cards as a sign of their passing through the Doors of Mercy. The designs of the stamps consist of a simple cross with identifying initials for each of the churches. It should be noted that these rack cards are not in themselves proof of forgiveness nor of the granting of indulgences. They simply signify the desire on the part of the faithful to seek and experience the love of God manifested above all in His mercy and compassion. The Archdiocese has issued stickers to replace the stamps after discovering that the ink on the stamps do not necessarily agree with the gloss on the rack cards. Backgrounder Articles The purpose of these articles is to assist in trying to understand the relevance and importance of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. What is a Jubilee Year? This article was published in the November 22, 2015 Bulletin for the parish of St. Patrick's, Wildfield. In the Old Testament, we read of how God, through the commands of Moses, urged the People of Israel to observe times of jubilee after every few years. We read a portion of the decree in the Book of Leviticus (25: 8–55). As a sign for one another of the immense love and mercy that God has for His people, they use this time to recreate the world anew, so to speak. The year would be marked by the pardoning of prisoners, the liberation of slaves, the return of land and other possessions to their original owners, the remission of debt, and a distribution of the wealth of society so that all can start anew as members of the chosen people of God. Compassion and welcome would also be extended to those passing through, even if they were not members of the Israelite community, because God wills that all people experience His love. To signal the beginning of a year of jubilee, an elder of the people would blow on a special trumpet made from the horn of a ram. This horn is called the yobel, and it is from that that we get the word jubilee. Even though it was not regularly recorded until the 1300’s, the Universal Church has kept this tradition of celebrating the love and mercy of God by making even more accessible the sacraments – especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation – along with special graces called indulgences during years of jubilee. Jubilee years for the Church can either be Ordinary (now celebrated every 25 years, the last one being in the year 2000) or Extraordinary (celebrated at other times) as declared by the Pope. During these Holy Years we are invited, among other special actions, to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Doors – special entrances to designated churches – as a sign of our entering into God’s loving embrace in the fullness of time, and the glory of the heavenly kingdom. We remember, too, that Jesus our Lord is that Door – that by His Passion, Death, and Resurrection has allowed us to share in the promise of God’s own life in us. This Holy Year, Pope Francis invites us to reflect even more on the loving mercy of our gracious God. And so as we journey through the Holy Year of Mercy, we will be exploring more about this great gift for the Church. We will renew our understanding of indulgences as the Church grants them, and we will find ways where we as individuals and as a community together can be more merciful like the Father for the Holy Year of Mercy and beyond. Holy Doors This article was published in the November 29, 2015 Bulletin for the parish of St. Patrick's, Wildfield. The Holy Door is a designated entrance to the pilgrimage churches of the Jubilee Years. Each of the four Papal Basilicas in Rome have Holy Doors: St. Peter's in the Vatican, the Cathedral of St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside-the-walls, and St. Mary Major. The Holy Doors are special because they are sealed, locked and cemented shut outside of Jubilee Years. There are a number of such doors in the world, including one at the Cathedral of Quebec City here in Canada. During Jubilee Years, including the coming Year of Mercy, the Holy Doors are opened: a sign of the graces coming from heaven being made more accessible for us all. Among other actions, we are invited to make a pilgrimage to these churches and go through the Holy Doors as a sign of our entering into God’s loving embrace in the fullness of time, and the glory of the heavenly kingdom. We remember, too, that Jesus our Lord is that Door – that by His Passion, Death, and Resurrection has allowed us to share in the promise of God’s own life in us. Pope Francis has declared that in this Extraordinary Jubilee Year, the Holy Doors will have a particular focus as they will become Doors of Mercy "through which anyone who enters will experience the love of God who consoles, pardons, and instils hope." The Church, taking into account that most of us would not have the opportunity to make that pilgrimage to Rome (or even to Quebec), may extend the status and the graces that come by means of the Holy Door to designated churches of significance. That is what Cardinal Collins has done here in the Archdiocese of Toronto, by designating a number of churches including St. Patrick's, Wildfield as pilgrimage churches for the Jubilee. In short, when we through the designated Holy Doors, it will be just as if we have gone through any of the Holy Doors in Rome. This is a sign that the Universal Church is united in our faith and in the celebration of the Jubilee Year. This is also a sign that the graces of the Jubilee Year are not reserved for a select few, but open to all. On December 8th, as the Church celebrates the solemn feast of Our Lady's Immaculate Conception, Pope Francis will unlock and open wide the Doors of Mercy at St. Peter's in the Vatican. On December 13th, the following Sunday, as the Church marks the Third Sunday of Advent, he will unlock and open the Door of Mercy at the Cathedral of St. John Lateran. Also on December 13th, the Mass with the Rite of Opening the Door of Mercy will be celebrated at all the other churches around the world that have been chosen to have Doors of Mercy. The Doors of Mercy at St. Paul Outside-the-walls and at St. Mary Major will be opened in the weeks following that. The Holy Doors of Mercy at St. Mary Major were opened on January 1st, 2016, the solemn feast of Mary, Mother of God. The pilgrimage to the Door of Mercy and going through it will allow a person to receive the special graces of the Jubilee Indulgence. In the coming weeks we will try to understand more about indulgences and learn about the requirements of obtaining these special graces. And so as we look forward to the opening of the Jubilee Year of Mercy, and the opening of these Holy Doors of Mercy, we hope and pray that it may be a blessed and fruitful time of grace for us all. May this Year of Mercy allow us to celebrate the great love of God, and lead us all to be 'merciful like the Father.' Indulgences This article was published in the December 06, 2015 Bulletin for the parish of St. Patrick's, Wildfield. A big part of the celebration of a Jubilee Year for the Church is the granting of special graces called indulgences. But what exactly are they? To understand indulgences we must first look at the nature of sin. At its core, sin is a turning away from love - from the love of God, the love that is God. It presents itself "in our thoughts, in our words, in what we have done and in what we have failed to do," as we pray at Mass. Sin, when looked at this way, has outward and inward effects. The outward effects have to do with our relationships. When we turn away from God, we disrupt or damage or even destroy our relationship with Him; when we sin against others we damage our relationship with them. These relationships can be built again, repaired, strengthened by apologizing and making ammends: this is forgiveness. Our relationship with God, first solidified in Baptism, is also repaired and built anew in the sacrament of Reconciliation and strengthened by Jesus in the Eucharist. God is love; and His way is creation, not destruction. The inward effects of sin have to do with our identity as God's created children. When we turn away from the love of God and others, we become more and more closed to it. We become, in a sense, bent or twisted out of the shape that He created us to be. But after we have apologized, made ammends, amd reconciled with God and with others, we still need to work on ourselves to repair this inward damage. It is these inward 'residual effects' of sin that concerns indulgences. The Church calls them 'temporal punishments,' and we believe that they are fully healed and cleansed in Purgatory. Purgation is simply a word that means a full cleansing, and that is what the blessed souls experience after death before they fully enter Heaven. The Church, by the merits of Jesus Christ's Passion, Death, and Resurrection, grants a remission (removal) of this temporal punishment due to sins that have already been forgiven in the sacrament of Reconciliation to us who are still alive - that is what an indulgence is, and it can be attained under certain conditions. An indulgence is granted to any faithful who performs a meritorious or good act defined by the Church. Along with the meritorious act: •the person must do it while free from any sin (mortal or venial); •the person must celebrate the sacrament of Reconciliation on or around the day when the act is performed; •the person must receive the Eucharist, preferably at Mass, on the day the act is performed; •the person must pray for the Pope and his intentions. The indulgence is either partial or full (called plenary), depending on the meritorious act and the openness of the person to the graces God gives. During Jubilee Years, the Church grants a plenary indulgence (under the conditions mentioned above) to anyone who makes a pilgrimage to the Holy Doors. After passing through the Holy Door, the prayers for the Pope as well as the Creed is said while in the church. For the Jubilee of Mercy, along with the Creed we are invited to say Pope Francis' prayer for the Year of Mercy. In addition, for this Jubilee Year, Pope Francis has attached the same plenary indulgence to the Corporal and Spiritual Acts of Mercy. And as we journey to through this Extraordinary Holy Year, we will look at and reflect on Pope Francis' prayer. We will also explore more about the Acts of Mercy so that we can all be, as the Church invites us, merciful like the Father! The Works of Mercy This article was published in the January 24, 2016 Bulletin for the parish of St. Patrick's, Wildfield. In addition to the pilgrimage to the Holy Doors, Pope Francis has declared that the Jubilee Indulgence, under the usual conditions, is also applied to all who perform the Corporal and Spiritual Acts of Mercy. There are seven Corporal Acts of Mercy, each of which is declared a meritorious act during the Holy Year. They stem mainly from the words of Jesus in Matthew 25: "When I was hungry you fed me, when I was thirsty you game me something to drink, when I was naked you clothed me, when I was homeless you sheltered me, when I was sick or in prison you visited me." The 7th is to bury the dead. In each of these acts we bring and make present the experience of the love of God to those who particularly need it. The corporal acts of mercy focus on bodily needs, for the body is an integral part of the human person. There are also seven Spiritual Acts of Mercy. These are actions that show compassion to those who need it, not in a bodily sense but in a spiritual sense. Each of these are found in scripture as well, even though there is no one passage that lists them all nicely (much like the 7th corporal mercy act). They are: instructing the unlearned, counseling the doubtful, admonishing sinners, bearing wrongs patiently, forgiving willingly, comforting the afflicted, and praying for the loving and the dead. The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy are there for us to remind ourselves that the journey of life is something we all take together. None of us are alone and we should not be - but we are meant to be bearers of the love of God for each other. By means of the Jubilee Indulgence granted for these acts during this Holy Year, Pope Francis invites us to rediscover these acts of compassionate love. Let us be merciful like the Father, not just this year but beyond. Feed, Give Drink, Clothe This article was published in the January 31, 2016 Bulletin for the parish of St. Patrick's, Wildfield. We have begun last week to look at the Works of Mercy: these actions remind us that the journey of life is not something we are on alone. We are meant to be bearers of the love of God for one another. This week, let us take some time to more closely look at some of the Corporal Works of Mercy. When we speak of feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, and clothing the naked (or sheltering the homeless), many of us immediately think of the poor and less-fortunate around us. The condition of our society today unfortunately allows for situations and circumstances that result in some people having to go without food or drink or shelter. We are called to be merciful like the Father, and it is this call that exhorts us to make those who go without feel loved and accepted and dignified. We know and realize their needs and that is why we help them in whatever way we can. Some of us will have direct opportunities to go and do the work of preparing and giving food for the hungry - we can do this by giving of our time to volunteer at food banks and soup kitchens such as Knight's Table or the Good Shepherd Centre. But for some of us who cannot easily do that for whatever reason, we can assist others to be able to do the work. We do this by giving of our goods and donating food, clothes, and some of our money to these causes. A great way of doing so would be to support the work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. In the Archdiocese of Toronto, we have ShareLife - an organization of Catholic agencies, some of which focus on ministering to the poor and less fortunate. By giving of our time, talent, and treasure - either directly or indirectly - we carry these Corporal Acts of Mercy. In our small little way we share the love our God has for us so that others may be able to experience it as well. Let us, in this Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, and beyond, take up anew these Works of Mercy. May we heed the call to be merciful like God our Father. Visit This article was published in the February 07, 2016 Bulletin for the parish of St. Patrick's, Wildfield. We continue our reflections on the Corporal Works of Mercy by looking at the action of visiting. We are invited to visit the sick. Illness and disease is a reality in our world; but we have over the course of human history been able to discover ways to deal with and treat them. But we cannot let the sick go through this difficulty on their own, because the presence of community is a big aid to them as well. We all need to know that we are not alone in the joys, hopes, griefs, and anxieties of life. The sick and the recovering who are dear to us, in our homes and in our hospitals, should likewise know that they are not alone. And we are also thankful for those who care for them, for being channels of the healing that God provides. In the Church, we also have the great gift of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. In the Anointing, we pray that our physical difficulties be a source of consolation by uniting them to the sufferings of Christ on the Cross. We also pray for those seeking physical healing and those preparing for a medical procedure that the healing love of God be with them. Next Saturday, February 13th, at 10 a.m., we will celebrate the Mass with the Anointing of the Sick in honour of the World Day of the Sick that is celebrated each year on February 11th (memorial feast of Our Lady of Lourdes). We invite you to accompany relatives and friends who are ill and seeking healing to this special celebration. We are also invited to visit the imprisoned. In Pope Francis' Jubilee prayer, we ask for the grace of a renewed enthusiasm to "proclaim liberty to captives and the oppressed." When we speak of prison, we think of those who are incarcerated and in custody for their wrongdoings. Jails and prisons are part of our society's justice system, not just as punishment for their crime but also as a time of rehabilitation during which they might be able to experience conversion and realize the error of their ways in hopes that they may be better members of society in the future. But we should also think of those who are captive to oppressive forces: violence, slavery, addictions, and others like them. These obscure and deny the human dignity of those who suffer them. We should seek ways, too, in which we can help these people to experience what it means to be sought after, valued, and loved. And we hope that those who perpetrate these conditions may also experience conversion and forgiveness. In both of these Works of Mercy, Christ calls us to be present for one another. The ministry of presence is something valuable: being there for each other means a lot to each of us, whether we realize it or not. And so during this Holy Year, and beyond, let us be there and let us be present for one another; and in this way, may we truly be 'merciful like the Father.'